Luke 12:Do Not Worry 22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? 27 “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! 29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. 32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Luke 18:22 New International Version (NIV) 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Luke 14:33 New International Version
(NIV) 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up
everything you have cannot be
my disciples.

And if you think of not listening to Jesus, remember this; Luke 6:46 English Standard Version (ESV) “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell
you?Also
Matthew 7:21-27 English Standard Version (ESV) I Never Knew You 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven......

Jesus relied on the hospitality of His better-off followers. You had Mary, Martha and Lazarus. You had Peter and his family letting Jesus live with them. Furthermore, Jesus made use of an Upper Room by arrangement with the owners. The point being? The owners of the Upper Room would have been relatively wealthy to have such an Upper Room, which means they lived in a house with a courtyard and so was larger than the ordinary poor man's house in ancient Israel. The thing is, these people were using their resources to help Jesus and were making use of them to promote the Kingdom of God. In Matthew 10 Jesus says, "Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay in his house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feetwhen you leave that home or town." (Matthew 10:11-14) What is clear is that hospitality was a big part of Jesus' teaching. that required some people at least to have sufficient financial resources. So when we come to the Rich Young Synagogue Ruler, and Jesus commands him to give up everything he has and sell it to the poor, then come, follow Him, and he responds by going away sad, what does Jesus say? "It is very hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven." However, while this was impossible with man, it is possible with God, for with God all things are possible. Quite simply, the riches of that young man were an obstacle to him following Jesus. By contrast, look at Zacchaeus when he came to faith in Jesus: "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." (Luke 19:8) Zacchaeus got it. He used his resources for the Kingdom of God. The Rich Young Synagogue Ruler did not get it. Therefore Jesus commanded him to give up everything. The principle is simple. You give up everything for Jesus. That means either using it for His cause, or you get rid of it altogether. Notice that Jesus did NOT tell the Rich Young Synagogue Ruler to give up his income. It certainly does NOT mean what one man said at the door of a house I nocked on, who said we should be taking our clothes off and getting rid of our houses and walking about naked and without any food. That is NOT what Jesus meant. I explained that to him and he made an accusation that Christians weasel their way out of everything. Yeah, whatever.

Quote: Luke 12:22 --- Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear.
23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.
30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them.
31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

Response: --- These are all good references you have given in this topic, and taken separately, they give a kind of negative message, as though you are not to retain anything for yourself. --- However, if you read the context you will find that Jesus was speaking to different groups of people. --- He spoke the parables to the crowds, --- then He spoke privately to the disciples.

Let’s start with the beginning of Mark 12:
1 In the meantime, when an innumerable multitude of people had gathered together, so that they trampled one another, He began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
--- (The Pharisees came with the crowds to find fault with Jesus and His teaching, so he spoke to them in Parables, --- but spoke privately with the disciples.)

15 And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, (greed and selfishness) for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”
16 Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.
17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’
18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’
20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’
21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
--- (This is the message, “Make God the first priority, --- not selfish desires.”)

--- (This parable was spoken to the multitude, including the Pharisees, which precedes the verses you mentioned.)

22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear.
23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.
30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them.
31 But seek His kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

--- So if the priority is seeking God first, then all necessary things will be added to you as well. --- God provides the needs of those who trust in Him.
Someone said, “God gives the best to those who leave the choices to Him.”

Quote: Right, No man can serve two masters.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also
--- (Then you said) --- Placid, indeed, the words are there but confusion is created over them to mislead.
Luke 18: 18 "And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God."

Response: --- This is explained in the next verses in the conversation in Luke 18:
18 Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
19 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.
20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’
21 And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.”
22 So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
23 But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.

--- Notice, he said, “Good Teacher.” --- He was respectful, --- but did he want to compliment or glorify Jesus? --- Then Jesus directed him to God who is the source of Goodness, and the One to be praised.

He asked a good question. --- The question we all need to ask.
Jesus said, “You know the law ---.“ --- And he responded, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” --- Which reveals that he was obedient to the law, and thus a good person, --- but perhaps lacking in love of God and generosity to others.

--- (He might have been simply seeking approval from Jesus for his good lifestyle, in front of the crowd --- but neither a good reputation nor good works can substitute for what God requires, --- which is repentance, faith, and obedience to His will.
He might also have thought, “Because I have riches, I would be a benefit to Jesus, I could finance His ministry, --- I could build Churches where the Apostles could preach.”

--- But therein is the problem. --- This was the reason Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
So Jesus gave him the hard answer. – ‘If you want to have treasure in heaven, then sell what you have and distribute to the poor,”
--- ‘And then come and join my disciples in following Me.’

Because his heart was with his treasure on earth, --- ’he went away sorrowful.’
--- But he may have believed in Jesus later with a different frame of mind.

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